At least a half dozen honeybee thefts have been reported this year in five counties — Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Kern and Sutter. Some beekeepers have estimated their losses could reach $100,000 for the theft of hundreds of hives they rent out to pollinate almonds and other crops…

The Butte County Sheriff's Office said on Feb. 2 it obtained "information that over 500 beehives have been reported stolen in two separate incidents which took place in two neighboring counties over the last two weeks." One instance involved 280 hives on Jan. 30 in Colusa County, while the other was about 200 hives stolen in Butte County.

If you have any knowledge about these thefts, the California State Beekeeper Association is offering rewards up to $10,000.

In addition, if a farmer reports that they have stolen a hive, the owners of the hive will allow the hives to stay for the remainder of the bloom. The goal isn’t to punish farmers for doing the right thing.